Vermont astronomers restore a classic telescope

Bathed in red light, a Vermont astronomer uses the newly restored Unitron telescope at Castleton University. The idea behind the use of red light is to maintain dark adaptation for nighttime viewing.

CASTLETON — There are few scientific areas where amateurs still can make serious contributions. The fields of meteorology, paleontology and astronomy are the sciences which come to mind.

For example, amateur weather buffs record vital data and make one-of-a-kind environmental observations, amateur fossil hunters discover new species on a regular basis, and amateur astronomers not only discover new asteroids and comets, they also help build important optical and electronic instruments for studying space.

Now, thanks to a group of Rutland-area amateur astronomers, known as the Green Mountain Alliance of Amateur Astronomers (GMAAA), a derelict campus telescope has been restored and returned to its original design purpose—a delicate instrument for studying the Moon, planets and a host of deep-space celestial objects.

GMAAA President Ron Lewis of Brandon, along with fellow astronomers Patrick Porch and Cale Shipman, became the leaders of a backyard effort to restore an underutilized 1960s-vintage refractor on the campus of Castleton University.

According to telescope collector and amateur astronomer Dave Komar of Culpepper, Va., the Rutland County astronomers hit a “home run“ with their loving work on restoring the Castleton telescope.

“Castleton is home to a rare, 1960s vintage Unitron Model 620, 6-inch diameter, photo-equatorial refractor,” according to Komar. “It is one of only three complete Model 620s available for public viewing in the world.”

Komar pointed out that the ‘scope’s maker, the Unitron USA telescope company of Commack, N.Y., was founded by Lawrence and Ellen Fine in 1952. The husband and wife team died in an airplane crash in 1978 and most of their early company history apparently died with them.

While the Fine’s company exists today as distributor of microscopes, it still offers a brass telescope model although it is pricey and sold mostly for science-related award ceremonies.

“It all began with the history of Nihon Seiko Kenkyusho, Ltd., the (Japanese) company the Fines selected to supply their telescopes and accessories,” as Komar described it. “Very little has been documented about the company, and from what I have been able to determine... (the telescope side of the Fine’s business) faded quietly into the night (after their death).”

Many astronomers have a “thing” for Unitron telescopes; they were well made devices and continue to retain high market value after disappearing from the market in the 1980s.

“Castleton University’s telescope is also the only Unitron Model 620 with an operational weight driven clock drive,” according to Komar. “This instrument was discovered during NEAF, the Northeast Astronomy Forum, in 2015.”

NEAF is the world’s largest astronomy and space exposition held each April at SUNY Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y.

“Members of the Green Mountain Alliance of Amateur Astronomers, who are responsible for maintaining the telescope, stopped by the NEAF 2015 classic telescope booth and identified themselves. Later, I had an opportunity to visit and observe with this ‘scope during a trip to Vermont in October...”

During the 2015 academic year, the Vermont astronomers received permission from university officials to refurbish the telescope; the effort was a labor of love with no outside financial help.

“The group’s recent actions has resulted in an increased interest on the part of the school administration,” Komar noted. “Castleton University hosts a summer concert series in their pavilion every Tuesday evening. They advised the event coordinator that the observatory would open after the concert for anyone wishing to stop by and an announcement was made during the 2015 summer concert.”

Now the rebooted telescope—originally built for studying geological surface detail of the Moon— is getting the attention and TLC it richly deserves.

“A couple of professors at the university... welcomed the opportunity to show off the 620 and were impressed with the enthusiasm expressed by not only the Castleton University trustees, but those of other colleges as well,” Komar noted.

Nineteenth century American humorist Henry Wheeler Shaw didn’t have the Unitron 620 in mind when he penned his oft-quoted line, but he might as well had—“Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.”